“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as a mighty one.” – George Bernard Shaw
This article is the third of a four-part series on supporting your mental health in the face of personal and global crisis
When we feel anxious or depressed, we are taken away from enjoying the present moment. Anxiety causes us to worry and ruminate about future scenarios and tenses the body. Depression causes us to view events negatively and depletes our energy and motivation. Some anxiety and depression can bring positives – anxiety can cause us to prepare and problem-solve, and some depression can cause us to let go and adjust to new realities.
However, when we get stuck in depression or anxiety, we can experience paralysis and negativity, which can sap all our enjoyment and energy.
As a therapist supporting people with debilitating depression and anxiety, I try to help them rediscover and reconnect to their passions and joys in their daily lives. Simple things such as gardening, reading, listening to music, or even playing cards with a friend can change their focus and lift their mood. Passion and enjoyment are the antidotes to depression and anxiety.
When you “get into the flow” doing a favourite activity that engages your talents, you can no longer feel depressed or anxious. Such activities recharge and refresh as well as challenge and engage you. Selecting the right activity is important, as seductive activities may not help and can make things worse. Hours on social media, watching repeated short videos selected by the algorithm or doomscrolling the news sites might give you a short dopamine hit, but can leave you more depressed and anxious afterwards. Instead, focus on positive mental health by finding meaningful activities that engage your talents and strengths and require your effort and commitment.
Four-part series
- Understanding and facing your feelings
- Focusing on what you can do
- Focusing on what you love
- Positive intention and accessing support (Sep 7th)
In Japan, the wellbeing concept of Ikigai (pronounced “ee-kee-guy”) is about living a purposeful, happy and joyful life. The goal of Ikigai is to find activities that unify four strands in your life, notably:
- What you love (passion);
- What you’re good at (vocation);
- What the world needs (mission);
- What you can be paid for (profession).
By exploring life activities where these strands overlap, you can ensure your own positive mental health and live a life filled with joy, satisfaction and a sense of purpose.
Ikigai and global crises
Facing our current global crises can be anxiety-provoking and depressing. Reading the stories of worsening heatwaves, biodiversity collapse and crop failures can make us despair and worry about the future. Watching the inept political responses to our predicament, as well as witnessing international war, genocide and widespread suffering, is deeply depressing.
As discussed in the last article, we can feel overwhelmed and powerless in the face of these huge challenges. Also, we can feel guilty and responsible, as it is excessive human consumption that has damaged the natural world and pushed us to this precipice. All real action can feel difficult as it involves hard collective choices that feel like losses – no flying, no meat, no disposable lifestyle, drastically reduced energy and consumption. The burden of what we should do can make us feel guilty or deny the reality of our predicament.
Moving forward can be about reframing and seeing the positives in our choices – it can be about finding our Ikigai in the crisis.
What do we love that we are willing to fight for?
What are our passions and strengths that we can use to create a positive future for our community?
One of the strengths of community is that people have very different talents and passions – one person might love the job another person loathes, and vice versa. As a result, each person might be called to do something different, and everyone is needed to do all the jobs that are necessary.
Facing our collective crises, some people:
- have a talent for leadership and can contribute as political activists for change;
- particularly love the natural world and have a special commitment to nature conservation;
- are great communicators and are called to be journalists fighting misinformation;
- are innovators in engineering and farming as we move to regenerative agriculture;
- have a special talent as educators and can inspire people to learn;
- have skills in traditional crafts that will help us in an energy-reduced future;
- are great community organisers and could set up a garden or repair cafe in their locality.
As global crises intensify, it is important to find what you are called to do in response. Find a role that activates your positive motivation and love so you can inspire others.
Journal Exercise
Learning to attend to what you love and enjoy is key to positive mental health. There are several studies that show that the simple practice of keeping a gratitude journal, whereby you list daily things you are grateful for, can reduce depression and increase wellbeing. Though it can be harder during a time of crisis, learning to focus on gratitude and enjoyment (as well as expressing upset and grief) can provide the positive thread that helps you thrive. Below are some journal questions to help you focus on gratitude.
What are three good experiences or things you enjoyed today?
What three things are you grateful for?
If feeling low, what things are you still grateful for (however small)?
If dealing with a crisis or challenge, what are you grateful for despite this?
What are your passions and strengths?
How can you use these to address personal and global crises?
- The final article will look at the importance of intention and creating community to navigate crises.
- John Sharry is a social worker and an adjunct professor at the UCD School of Psychology. See solutiontalk.ie
